1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover apparatus for covering an opening and a fastener apparatus for detachably stretching and fastening the cover apparatus to a frame structure which defines that opening.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous protective covers for preventing rain, debris and wind from disrupting the contents of such places as a pickup truck bed are currently available. Generally, the covers are made of some sort of fabric which is detachably fastenable to a rigid frame so as to enclose and protect a given area. The covering materials used are generally stretchable to the extent that once they are in a position, they are pulled taut and then attached to the frame by numerous methods such as snaps, grommets and anchoring elements, or hook-and-loop fasteners.
The use of hook-and-loop type fasteners to detachably fasten a cover to a rigid frame forms the subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,119 issued to one Robert M. Adams. U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,854 issued to Gary R. Rippberger, and the unpatented prior art described in that patent, related to fastener apparatus. In the Rippberger patent, the end of the covering fabric is attached to a tongue. In engaging the cover, the tongue is slipped into a groove in the rigid frame. The unpatented prior art described in the Rippberger patent also utilizes a tongue-and-groove means of attachment. The Rippberger patent differs from the unpatented prior art in two respects. First, in the Rippberger patent, the width of the tongue is greater than the depth of the groove, which thereby purportedly eases the process of insertion and removal of the tongue from the groove; whereas, in the unpatented prior art, the tongue is completely enclosed by the groove. Second, in the Rippberger patent, the cloth covering only partially covers the tongue surface, which permits the cloth covering to maintain some of its force directed parallel to the tongue; whereas in the unpatented prior art, the tongue is completely encased by the fabric covering and thus the force against that covering tends to loosen the tongue from the groove.
Although the Rippberger patent is seen as an improvement over the unpatented prior art, there still remains several problems with Rippberger which this invention solves. Because of the tongue-and-groove method of attachment utilized in the Rippberger patent, the fabric has to be stretched in order to insert the tongue into the groove. Once the tongue is completely inserted into the groove, the tension on the cover fabric is lessened. Not only does this appear to be somewhat cumbersome to use, but after repeated use, the reduced tension in the cover fabric might allow the cover to rattle and come loose. Apparently, because of this problem, the Rippberger patent employs a relatively narrow and deep groove in order to aid in the prevention of inadvertent detachment of the cover.
The present invention solves these and other problems associated with the prior art.